Technology converts Web surfers into warm leads
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
By Jessica Swesey
Inman News

Consumers never have to dial a telephone number to reach Ryan Epper, a mortgage broker with Lifestyle Mortgage in Northport, Ala. They just click on the telephone icon on his Web site, enter their number and wait for the phone to ring a few seconds later.

Epper's Web site features a new technology called ZiffTalk, which gives home loan shoppers instant telephone access to the mortgage broker so they can ask questions about the company's loan products.

Ryan Epper, Lifestyle Mortgage

"A lot of people have questions right there and don't want to wait around. This is how I differentiate my service from other mortgage companies," Epper said. The ZiffTalk technology also could help real estate agents convert more of their Web site traffic into closed deals because the "Click Here to Call Me Now" option on an agent's Web site might prompt more online home shoppers to initiate contact.

Epper has used ZiffTalk for about two months and already has received calls through the service. He expects more to come as his Web site traffic picks up. ZiffTalk customers can install links to the service on their Web sites or in Internet directory listings, e-mail messages or banner ads.

ZiffTalk is also the name of the Pleasanton, Calif.-based operation that was formed in 2001 as an information technology consultant and software development company, according to CEO Gopesh Kumar. The company spent two years building the technology, then launched it in December. They've signed on about 100 new customers since then.

"We have a couple of small and upcoming real estate agent Web site designers we've linked up with," Kumar said.

Echo Farrell, a real estate agent with Colleen Lynch & Associates in Scottsdale, Ariz., also displays the ZiffTalk icon on her Web site. She immediately saw the potential the technology has to increase the amount of calls she receives from people surfing on her site.

Farrell heard about the technology from her search engine optimization company, which also uses it on its company Web site. She said it's a win for consumers because the call is free, and they can reach her while they're on the Web site. "It's pretty cutting edge, but I need to do a better job at letting people know how to use this," she said.

Echo Farrell, Colleen Lynch & Associates

Although the technology is intuitive—consumers simply click on the ZiffTalk link, enter their number and pick up the phone—Farrell hasn't received any calls through the service since she added it to her site about two months ago. She thinks people might be unfamiliar with how it works. Some might not know they'll receive a call right away or believe they need a minimum Internet line speed to connect.

Listen to Echo Farrell's experience with ZiffTalk.

 

The service uses the Internet to capture the phone number, Gopesh explained. However, the actual call takes place via a regular telephone line, which makes it simple to use. If the agent is out of the office, the system will forward calls to a cell phone or other number. The technology also can capture voice messages and convert them to e-mail.

The service uses a pricing model that's similar to those of cell phone carrier plans. Agents pay a flat monthly fee for a certain amount of minutes, then pay a set rate per each additional minute. A $29.99 monthly fee might offer 100 free minutes, and additional minutes might cost 12 cents each, for example.

Agents can track their calls using the ZiffTalk Web interface and insert as many links to the service on their Web sites as they want. The company offers a reseller program that enables real estate Web designers and others to purchase the technology at a lower cost and resell it as part of their Web site design services.

"We feel there are other folks who are in a better position to reach out to real estate agents," Kumar said.

Send tips or feedback to Jessica@inman.com; (510) 658-9252, ext.133.